Folding chair



Aug. 13, 1940. ORTON 2,211,289

FOLDTNG CLAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1939 lye/tri K: Orion a wa l il-neos: A

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Patented Aug. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 28, 1939, Serial No. 281,588

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to folding chairs, and more particularly to folding chairs of sheet metal construction of the general character illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,939,596, issued December 12, 1933, on application filed March 29, 1933, by Ralph K. Merrill and by him assigned to my assignee.

The primary objects of the instant invention are to provide a chair of the general character above set forth which is rugged and sturdy in construction; to provide such a chair whose seat may be turned upwardly, independently of the folding of the chair supporting legs, a suflicient distance to permit the occupant thereof torise in order that others persons may pass in front of him; to provide such a chair whose seat in its farther upwardly folding movement effects a folding movement of the chair supporting legs; to provide such a chair whose legs may be completely unfolded by the mere lowering of the seat thereof; and, to provide such a chair which is economical in manufacture, pleasing in appearance and utilitarian in use.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the chair in its unfolded position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the chair with the seat thereof in partially raised position, the legs thereof remaining in their unfolded position;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the chair in completely folded position; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 3 but showing the same parts in their folded positions.

Referring to these drawings wherein like parts of the structure are designated by the same numerals in the several views, the folding chair generally comprises an inverted U-shaped tubular metal frame It forming a support for a curved back II which is preferably of sheet metal. The back is positioned below the horizontally disposed medial portion I2 of the frame It and said back is suitably secured to this medial portion I2 of the frame If! and to the frames oppositely disposed spaced parallel portions which form spaced angularly disposed front legs I3.

The tubular frame II] is here shown as formed from sheet metal stock to give it strength and rigidity at light weight, the longitudinal edges of the metal stock being flanged inwardly to form a finished and reinforcing seam I4. A tie rod I5 connects the front legs I3 intermediate the ends thereof, the opposite ends of the tie rod I5 passing through the seams I4 and opposite walls of the front legs I3 respectively.

An inverted U-shaped reinforcing member I6 has its medial portion I1 secured as by welding to the tie rod I5 and has its lower ends I8 secured to the lower ends of the front legs I3, these lower ends I8 passing through the seams I4 and opposite walls of the front legs I3 respectively.

A pair of tubular metal spaced rear legs I9 formed in a manner like that of the frame II], are pivotally connected at their upper ends to yokes 20 which embrace and are secured to the opposite front legs I3 respectively. An upper strut H and a lower strut 22 connect the rear legs I9, the opposite ends of these struts 2I, 22 passing through seams 23 and the opposite walls of the rear legs I 9 respectively.

A seat 24 is secured by bolts 25 and nuts 26 to the horizontally inwardly extending flanges 21 of a pair of oppositely disposed angle iron seat supporting brackets 28, the depending flanges 29 of which are pivotally secured to the tie rod I5 which passes through apertures 30 in the flanges 29. A coiled expansion spring 3I is preferably interposed between each depending flange 29 and the front leg I3 adjacent thereto, these springs 3| circumscribing the tie rod I5 and serving to center the seat between the opposite sides of the chair.

A pair of links 32 are pivotally secured at their rearward ends to the rear legs I9 respectively of the chair by means of pins 33 passing through the rear legs and through these links 32. The forward end of each link 32 is: pivotally secured at 34 to the rearward end of a slotted plate 35, the forward ends of the plates 35 being pivotally secured by means of pins 36 to the front legs I3 respectively, each pin 36 passing through the seam I4 and opposite wall of its front leg I3. Spacer collars 3! circumscribing the pins 36 space the forward ends of plates 35 slightly inwardly from their adjacent front legs I3.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 6, the slot 38 in each plate 35 comprises an arcuate rearward portion 39 concentric with the tie rod I5 in the unfolded position of the chair and a portion 40 inclined from the arcuate portion 39. Pins 4! laterally secured to each depending flange 29 of the seat supporting brackets 28, engage in the slots 38 of plates 35.

It will thus be seen that when the chair seat is raised from its position shown in Figures 2 and 3 to its position shown in Figure 4 permitting the occupant of the chair to rise to allow other persons to pass in front of him, the seat freely turns about the tie rod E5, the pins 4i moving freely in the arcuate portion 39 of slot 38.

It will likewise be seen that the chair may be completely folded, as in instances of clearing an auditorium of chairs, merely by raising the seat farther to its positions shown in Figures 5 and 6. In thus raising the seat farther, pins 4! pass into portions 4% of slots 38 and the plates 35 are caused to rotate counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figures 3 and 6, about their pivots 36, thus moving pivot 34 and the forward end of link 3! downwardly to draw the rear legs IQ of the chair toward the front legs I3 thereof. Conversely, when the chair is in its folded position, the lowering movement of the seat effects clockwise rotation of plate 35 thus unfolding the chair.

A stop is provided for preventing lowering movement of the seat beyond its position of use, and as here shown comprises a pair of rubber disks 32 secured by rivets 53 to the rearward ends of flanges 2i of the seat supporting brackets 28. These disks 42 contact the under side of the upper strut 2! which extends between the rear legs E8 of the chair as soon as the seat reaches its lowered position of use.

It will thus be seen that the folding chair h'erein shown and described is provided with a seat which may be partially raised without a folding of the legs thereof and that the chair is rugged and sturdy in construction, economical in manufacture and pleasing in appearance.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that certain details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a folding chair comprising a frame forming a back support and spaced front legs, a pair of tied spaced rear legs pivotally secured to the frame, a seat pivotally secured to the front legs, a link pivotally secured to a rear leg, a slotted plate pivotally secured to said link and pivotally secured to the adjacent front leg, means on the seat engaging within the slot, said slot having a portion thereof concentric with the seat pivot in the unfolded position of the chair to permit free turning movement of the seat between lowered and partially raised positions and another portion thereof inclined from the first-mentioned portion for effecting folding and unfolding movements of the rear legs of the chair relative to the front legs thereof during turning movement of the seat between partially raised and fully raised positions.

2. In a folding chair comprising a frame forming a back support and spaced front legs, a pair of tied spaced rear legs pivotally secured to the frame, a seat pivotally secured to the front legs, a link pivotally secured to a rear leg, a slotted plate pivotally secured to said link and pivotally secured to the adjacent front leg, means on the seat engaging within the slot, said slot having a portion thereof concentric with the seat pivot in the unfolded position of the chair to permit free turning movement of the seat between lowcred and partially raised positions and another portion thereof inclined from the first-mentioned portion for effecting folding and unfolding movements of the rear legs of the chair relative to the front legs thereof during turning movement of the seat between partially raised and fully raised positions, and a stop for preventing lowering movement of the seat beyond its lowered position of use.

MERRITT K. ORTON. 

